Keeping ants out of your home can be a pain. It seems that no matter what you try, they keep coming back. It may seem crazy, but there are actually types of food you can use to deter ants away from your home. Seems counter-intuitive, but just try them.
- Vinegar
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- Try cleaning your counters with a mixture of distilled vinegar and water. Ants hate the smell of vinegar and it kills the scent trails that they use to get around.
- Lemon Juice
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- Lemon juice has a similar effect that vinegar does. The strong citric smell destroys the ants’ scent trail, leaving them confused. Spray lemon juice is areas where ants are getting inside.
- Peppermint Oil
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- Peppermint oil is a great way to deter ants from your home. Clean off your surfaces, then put a few drops of peppermint oil on a cloth and wipe down the counters. Not only will it help keep ants away, but your kitchen will smell amazing.
- Spices & Herbs
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- Certain spices and herbs are a deterrent to ants. Try sprinkling the following spices around your kitchen or where ants are getting inside:
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- Cayenne Pepper
- Black Pepper
- Chili Pepper
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Garlic
- Mint
- Bay Leaves (put these in cabinets and drawers)
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- Coffee Grounds
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- Ants really don’t like the smell of coffee, which is kind of crazy because it smells amazing. Sprinkle coffee ground around the outside of your house, in your garden, and where ants are entering your home.
- Cucumber or Citrus Peels
- Interestingly, cucumber and citrus peels are toxic to the types of fungi that ants eat. So if you spread these things around your home and where ants are entering the home, they won’t want to go anywhere near them.
